Monthly Archives: September 2009

Week Thirty-Eight: Spanish Breads The baguette, in France, is a highly regimented object. Under the austere and unyielding eye of the law, baguettes must be made to exact specifications in size, weight, and composition – which, of course, vary according … Continue reading →

Week Thirty-Eight: Spanish Breads In Spain, loaves of bread are often gargantuan things, as big around as a large paella pan. Richly brown as any chocolate, they’re sold in quarters or halves, but just as commonly sold whole. This is … Continue reading →

Week Thirty-Eight: Spanish Breads The sun is just up, beginning to turn the dusty light a flattering shade of terra cotta. The patisseria offers, among many other things, an ensaïmada; but the small, sweet spiral is all you care to breakfast … Continue reading →

Week Thirty-Eight: Spanish Breads When tapas burst onto the American dining scene a few years back, they confused as many people as they enthralled. It was as if a mass forgetfulness had taken hold, as trendy restaurants from New York … Continue reading →

Week Thirty-Eight: Spanish Breads Thank you, first of all, dear readers, for bearing with me as I’m still running a day behind on my posts. I’m working furiously trying to get everything done, and it never seems there’s enough time … Continue reading →

Week Thirty-Seven: Viennoiserie In the morning, before the thundering traffic tide rolls in, a million underpaid hotel workers set up the Continental breakfast buffet. Complimentary, of course. All the regulars are there: purple-hued blueberry muffins, tops slicked over like some 50’s greaser … Continue reading →

Week Thirty-Seven: Viennoiserie No, I didn’t just make babka. That was baba. Totally different. Well, except for the name: “baba” is Slavic for “grandmother”, and “babka” is the diminutive form, “little grandmother”. That bit is similar. Oh, and there’s the … Continue reading →

Week Thirty-Seven: Viennoiserie I don’t know if it qualifies as a classic Viennoiserie, but for me, pâte à choux (or, choux paste) has always fallen into that same netherworld, not quite bread and not quite pastry. Undeniably, most of the items … Continue reading →

Week Thirty-Seven: Viennoiserie Today’s Viennoiserie offering is a fairly uncommon food, one that you might spot on the occasional dessert menu. But honestly, there’s no good reason for it. A baba au rhum (rum baba) is so simple, so accomodating of schedules, and … Continue reading →

Week Thirty-Seven: Viennoiserie Maybe I’m the only person in the world who thinks that a classic rugelach has just as much right to be considered a Viennoiserie as a croissant. Maybe I’m not. But I do think that this delightful … Continue reading →